Shimla: The district administration has decided to suspend traffic for 2.5 hours daily on the Aut-Banjar stretch of the NH-305 in Kullu due to the ongoing road repair works.Banjar sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Pankaj Sharma stated that vehicles would not be allowed on the highway between 12 pm and 2:30 pm, except for emergency services, to facilitate ongoing patchwork and tarring.The restrictions were ordered after daily traffic jams in Banjar intensified, affecting residents, traders and tourists.During the road closure, vehicles will be diverted through the Banjar bypass, which the public works department has been directed to make fully motorable, stated the SDM.Sharma said the departments concerned had been directed to install signboards at key locations to inform the public about the restrictions and to ensure proper traffic management.The police have also been instructed to deploy personnel at necessary points to regulate and streamline traffic. Action will be taken against the violator under the Motor Vehicles Act, he added.The SDM further stated that the public works department had been directed to make the Banjar bypass fully motorable by May 3, so that it could function effectively as an alternative route during the restriction.As the tourist season is picking up, massive traffic jams on this narrow highway have become a daily affair. Tourists heading for places like Tirthan Valley and Jalori Jot remain stuck in traffic jams for hours.Banjar MLA Surender Shourie blamed the district administration for traffic jams on the NH-305. “The daily traffic congestion in Banjar has now become a serious problem for the general public. Residents, traders and tourists face heavy inconvenience every day, but the Congress govt in the state and the district administration do not appear to be taking any concrete steps in this regard,” said Shourie.“Presently, the tarring work is underway, but the lack of proper planning or any SOP is adding to people’s difficulties,” he added.MSID:: 130731610 413 |
